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eXpansys using streaming video to show products ‘in action’

[Update - Amazon adds video of products]

eXpansys sells mobile phone and wireless devices in the UK, I’ve been using them for years and can’t recommend them enough. I noticed last week that they link to YouTube videos which show their products in-use by a ‘normal person’.

You can see it here for this Dell Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard – they have linked to two user-generated YouTube videos.

The first is 3 minutes long and shows the user connecting a Nokia n95 to the keyboard and typing. The second is almost 10 minutes long and has a different user unpacking his new N800 along with the Dell keyboard. He walks through unpacking his freshly-delivered box and talks about each item.

How could they improve?

Really eXpansys should comment on what’s shown in the video (who wants to watch 10 minutes of irrelevant content?) – the first is useful, the second is pretty weak.

eXpansys have made a great start by showing user-generated content which they have filtered. This content however needs to be more relevant to the viewer – a proper guide to connecting and using the keyboard would be invaluable.

If a prospective purchaser could see how easy it is to get started with this keyboard then one of their mental barriers to purchasing the item would be removed.

When talking with a prospective client about adding video to their site this is exactly the sort of conversation we encourage – it is essential to consider the needs of the user when talking about video.

Amazon has added video to their product page for Fifa 08 on a Wii, the video shows elements of the game in-action. I’ll guess that they’re adding video to give you an idea of the experience to back-up their text-only descriptions and user-reviews.

For 2 years our public ShowMeDo.com has streamed a Terabyte of high-quality tutorial videos every month to a global audience. During that time we have been providing a managed service for companies who wish to demonstrate their products and services to their users.

Contact us to learn how streaming video can generate sales leads and reduce your technical-support burden.